The latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) by Transparency International shows that mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan all performed well.
The index collects data from 180 countries and territories and provides a snapshot of the fight against corruption.
Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan scored 45, 76, and 68 respectively on a scale of 1 to 100.
While some countries that traditionally performed well saw their scores drop (e.g. Switzerland and Austria), others such as South Korea and Vietnam are making progress.
Hong Kong has traditionally been a strong performer on the CPI, but its score has slowly declined from mid-80s in the 2000s to around 76 in recent years.
Mainland China has seen a slow but steady improvement over the last decade, going from a score below 40 to mid-40s.
Taiwan’s score has also improved from 61 at the start of the 2010s to 68 now.
The CPI measures perceptions of public-sector corruption, not actual corruption, and small movements in scores should not be overinterpreted.
However, the CPI can be useful in highlighting broader trends.
Despite the recent challenges faced by mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, their performances on the CPI held up.
There is still room for improvement in each of these places, such as tackling anonymous legal entities and money laundering in Hong Kong.
